1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a programmable battery charge indicator and more particularly pertains to allowing a user to monitor the condition and charge of a regular and deep cycle 12 volt lead-acid battery with a programmable battery charge indicator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of battery charge indicators is known in the prior art. More specifically, battery charge indicators heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of monitoring the charge on a battery are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,870 to Finger discloses a quiescent voltage sampling battery state of charge meter. U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,803 to Palanisamy discloses a method and apparatus for charging and testing batteries. U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,011 to Lambert discloses a battery state of charge indicator. U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,658 to Bohmer discloses an apparatus and method for indicating state of charge of a battery. U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,286 to Ninomiya discloses a low-battery state detecting system and method for detecting the residual capacity of a battery from the variation in battery voltage.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a programmable battery charge indicator that allows a user to compare a voltage on a test battery to a predetermined reference voltage or a user-programmed reference voltage unique to the test battery to determine the exact percentage of charge on the test battery. This precise determination will allow the user to determine the exact charge state of the test battery and indicate to the user when to recharge the battery in order to maximize the test battery's usable life.
In this respect, the programmable battery charge indicator according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a user to monitor the condition and charge of a regular and deep cycle 12 volt lead-acid battery.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved programmable battery charge indicator which can be used for allowing a user to monitor the condition and charge of a regular and deep cycle 12 volt lead-acid battery and thus, by recharging at the proper time, maximize the battery's useful life. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.